The Wi-Fi-enabled iON Air Pro 3 action camera captures excellent 1080p video and is very easy to use, although it's a little expensive compared with the competition.

If you go somewhere amazing, or do something incredible, chances are the Internet wants to know about it—and only high-quality, wide-angle HD video will do. iON's Air Pro 3 is a refreshingly simple action camera; it delivers stunning video quality that can help amateurs and professionals alike show off their skills and outrageous adventures. Its $349.99 asking price seems high given some of the competition, and iON's apps need improvement. Still, the Air Pro 3 is a strong contender for a spot on your helmet.

Design and FeaturesThe Air Pro 3 looks and feels like a small flashlight, and just like a flashlight, you intuitively point it at what you want to record. In contrast, the GoPro's signature cuboid design isn't quite as intuitive for accurate hand-held pointing and shooting without a display to see what you're pointing at. At 1.45 by 4.21 inches (HW), the Air Pro 3 is bigger than the GoPro Hero3 and Sony POV Action Cam (HDR-AS100V), and at five ounces, it's about 2.5 ounces heavier, but by no means is it too heavy.

Two narrow blue grooves cut through the sides of the iON's black metal barrel (which feels a little more like plastic). An octagonal, metallic blue band surrounds the back of the unit; the band helps steady the camera on a flat surface so it doesn't roll around. At the very rear is a removable, water-tight cap called Wi-Fi Podz, which contains the Wi-Fi transmitter that lets the Air Pro 3 communicate with your computer and mobile devices.

Removing the rear cap reveals microSD, mini HDMI, and micro USB ports, along with a 3.5mm microphone input, a built-in microphone, and a pinhole reset button on the camera itself. Also at the rear is a switch that toggles between HD (720p60) and FHD (1080p30) recording.

Unlike the majority of its competitors, you don't need a separate waterproof case for underwater shooting up to 49 feet, which should be sufficient for most purposes. Also, iON's Air Pro trademark vibration feedback is more effective than a GoPro with muted beeps. Of course, you can unmute the beeps on a GoPro to give you feedback, but it also beeps when you cycle through the menu, which can get irritating very quickly.

Functionality and Video QualityiON continues its minimalist approach to the control layout on its most recent Air Pro model. Most functions are controlled by a protruding button that doubles as Power and Photo Capture, and a large switch to Start/Stop video recording. They might seem bulky in photos, but both the button and the switch give better feedback than their competitors' smaller buttons. Rather than flicking through confusing menus on a tiny display à la GoPro, the only setting you can change from the camera itself is resolution between FHD (set to 1080p30 by default) and HD (set to 720p60 by default), which should suit most adventurers.

Being a Wi-Fi-enabled action camera without a display, you'd expect that other configurations could be made from a mobile device using iON's mobile apps. Unfortunately, the iOS and Android iON apps are poorly designed and lack functionality. In my tests, the remote function worked, and you can view choppy playback of your footage (think HD YouTube streaming on a slow internet connection). But the only amenable options are Photo Resolution, TV Type, Power Saving, and Auto Rotate. And there's no way to check how much space and time you have left in your micro SD card, either.

To make any video recording adjustments, you'll need to use iON's desktop computer software, which is automatically loaded onto any microSD card you use with the Air Pro 3. From the software, you can set FHD mode to record 1080p video at up to 60 frames per second, and HD mode can be set to record 720p at 30, 60, and 120-frames-per-second for slowing down footage in editing for dramatic slow-motion scenes. You can even go as low as 240p (WQVGA and QVGA) at 120 frames per second. Switching between photo modes (Still, Time-Lapse, Burst) is also only available from the desktop computer software, which means you'll have to make most of your configurations at home before leaving for your next base jump. A quick call to iON assured us that it's working on improving the apps.

I took the Air Pro 3 on a quick bike ride around Manhattan on an overcast day. Video quality at 1080p30 was excellent, and comparable to what the GoPro Hero3 Silver Edition records, with clear, crisp detail and accurate colors. However, there's a noticeable jelly-like effect during shaky situations caused by the camera's in-built image stabilizer, which can't be turned off, and the stabilization didn't work as as well as Sony' SteadyShot when it came to hand-held shooting. Footage can also become overly exposed at times, but that's still preferable over losing details of my surroundings to darkness. In indoor and low-light situations, the Air Pro 3 captures noisy video, and dark areas become void of detail.. Audio quality is serviceable, though as with most action cameras it becomes utterly useless in windy situations. At least you get the option to plug in a microphone without having to buy a separate adapter, like you would with a GoPro.

The Air Pro 3 can take decent still shots at up to 12 megapixels with some barrel distortion due to the wide-angle lens. But video cameras generally don't take pictures as well as a dedicated point-and-shoot camera. You can take Time-Lapses at 2, 5, 10, 30, and 60-second intervals, as well as 10 shots-per-second in Burst mode.

Accessories and ConclusionsThe Air Pro 3 comes with a decent set of accessories, including a ball joint, a pouch, a secure strap, a tripod, a USB cable, a universal power adapter, an adapter for different mounts called CamLock, a double-face adhesive helmet mount, and a helmet mount. iON's extra accessory sets are generally cheaper than GoPro's, which is good to consider if you think you'll need different mounts for different exploits.

An accessory option I would have liked to see is an extra battery, but the built-in pack is non-removable. iON claims its 1,200mAH battery lasts up to 2.5 hours depending on resolution, frame rate, and how often you use Wi-Fi, which should be sufficient to capture most endeavors. But if your adrenaline fix is going to take more than 2.5 hours to satisfy, you'll need to pause the action and charge the camera.

The iON Air Pro 3 is for those who value excellent video quality and ease of use, andit excels at what it was designed to do; capture excellent, wide-angle HD video. Built-in waterproofing is a plus, and means you won't need to pack a waterproof case. However, don't count on the apps to be of much use until they're improved. And for $349.99, the Air Pro 3 is pricier than the $299.99 GoPro Hero3+ Silver Edition. Both have similar video quality and features, though the Hero3+ SE has a 170-degree field-of-view compared with the Air Pro 3's 160, as well as an exchangeable battery. Finally, if you spend $50 more than you would with the Air Pro 3, the Editors' Choice Hero3 Black Edition and the newer Hero3+ Black Edition can also record 1440p video at 48fps, and even goes up to 4K, albeit at just 15fps.

About the Author

Before becoming PCMag’s Junior Consumer Electronics Analyst, Antonio graduated from Colgate University with a BA in History where he, upon writing his nine millionth essay, never thought he would ever write ever again, especially for a living. After working in PR and sales, Antonio realized his knowledge and passion for technology far exceeded norm... See Full Bio

iON Air Pro 3 Wi-Fi

iON Air Pro 3 Wi-Fi

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